Flax-pulling machine.



C. H. VESMJT fit A. G. MATHEW. m PULLING MACHINE.

MIPLIMTION FILED JUNE 5, I915.

Patented M 23, 1916.

. 2 $HEETS-$MEE1 I.

. l varatk.

cnantns HENRI 'vnsso'r AND- ALLAN ammonia Marxian, or o'rrawa, on'ranro,

CANADA.

max-routine. Macrame.

Specificatin o Letter sl 'atent. Patented May 23, 19116.

Application filed June 5,1915. Serial No. 32,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES l-IENRI' VESSOT and ALLAN GILMOUR MATHER, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of the city of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flax-Pulling Machines, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to improvements in flax pullingmachines of the type in which the flax is pulled through the medium of contacting inclined pulling belts and the The invention comprises a plurality of pulling elementsmovable as a whole to and from each other and each containing a pulling belt adapted to contact and cooperate with a corresponding belt in the next element, means for holding the pulling elements resiliently together and means for supplying power to the pulling belts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth and described in the accompanying specification and drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a detail side view.

Fig. 3 is aside view of the pulling element. Fig. 4 is a detail of the rear of the support for the pulling element. Fig. 5 is a detail in plan of one of the pulling elements with the upper casing removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring tightening mechanism. v g

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine which may be attached to or form part of the frame of an ordinary binder. This frame is supported on wheels B and G and is drawn by a suitable tongue 10.

D represents a transversely extending collecting belt usually foundon binders bywhlch the pulled flax plants are collected.

E, E represent the central pulling elements and F, F the outer pulling elements. Each of the central pulling elements is of the construction shown in detail in Figs. 3 and'5 while the outer elements F are of 1 similar construction, but have the belt extending only on one side and forming each 1n substance just one-half of a complete element.v Eachelement E includes a casing 12 lncluding an upper plate 13 and a lower plate 14.

The pulleys 15, 16, 17 and 18 supporting the flax pulling belt G are mounted between the plates 13 and Min any suitable way, the pulleys 16 and 18 having anyconvenient type of adjustable bearing by which theirposition may be alteredto tighten or loosen the tension on the belt. y

In the; embodiment illustrated the flax pulling belt is driven from a shaft H which extends transversely beneath all the ele- .ments E and F and which has pulleys 20 mounted at intervals thereomaround which pulleys the belts G are adapted to extend, being turned downwardly for this purpose over pulleys 21 and 22 mounted in the plate 14:.

It will be'seen that a single belt G extends around all of thepulleys 15, 16,17, 18,20, 21 and 22, the course of the belt G being as follows: fromthe pulley 15; to the pulley16, then to the pulley 22, around the pulley 22 to the pulley 20, then around the pul-.

ley 21 to the pulley 17, around the pulley 17 to the pulley 18, around the pulley 18 to the pulley 15, to the place of beginning. It will be seen that this forms a simple and effective means of drive'and at the same time acts as a pullin belt for the flax, i

" l The belts and ad acent pulling elements E, E v and F, F are adapted v to remain in contact, and to assist them in remaining in contact rollers 24 and 25 are provided on opposite sides respectively of the casi'ng12, the rollers on one side being spring mounted so that they will exert a resilient pressure on the inner side of the belt G.

We have shown the pulleys 25 having pin= tles 26 slidably mounted in slidable bearing blocks 27, the bearing blocks being connected to rods 28 all of which rods extend through a longitudinally extending bar 29 between which and the bearings springs'30' extend. The bar29 is adjustably connected to tlieplate l3 by slot and bolt connections 31 whereby'its position may be adjusted to vary the tension of the springs.

ment engaging belts I are provided, the engaging belts and adjacent pulling belts dierging from each other. .These engaging belts, which maybe chains ifdesired, are

r mounted on sprockets-40 and {1,the sprockets ll -being connected to and H thelpulleys and 17. i .f elements is'f'urther providedwith a pointed 15 turning With nose 42 adapted to divide the crop. The pulling elements areall supported with freedom of slight lateral movement. The support comprises brackets 43 on the "rearend "of the pullingielements and slidably mounted on atransverselyextending rod 44 secured to the frame A and conveniently sup- The forward ported by ivoted'arnis 4.6 which are pivoted to brac ets 47' by pins 48, the brackets or forming part of the ported therefrom by brackets orbearings 45.

7 parts of 'each element are sup- 47 being connected to frame A;

The'p'ulling elements are adapted to be held resiliently against each'other-as a whole means of a compression spring 50 bear-' mg against a bracket51-on-theiend frame a F and thetension of the "spring50is adaptplate 52' extending'around the rod 53' which is. connected to'thei bracket 51 and extends through ,thelspring 50; This follower plate A has connected i to *it cords '54 [which extend ,ingdog, not shown,

ed to .be adj ustedto suit crop conditions by suita ble means.

The means weiliave shown to accompl shrth s. compr ses a follower around P lleys 55 mounted in a fixed bracketed From the pulleys 55 the such "as the' arcuate rack 61'and correspond- .on the-lever. It will V be seen'that when the leveri is adjusted ten 1 sion on the spring50 will Tripping'arm's. J are provided on each of lthepulling elements adapted to engage the rate source of'power, such as the gasolene qengineK' whichis' connected by suitablev v 7 The gearing we have illustrated, but which is not material,

be varied.

flax plants andcause'them' to drop in 'a'sub lectingbeltQD. a a r 7: r i The :po\ veri for idriving the pulling belts inplacegof, as formerly,; being derived from thetraction' wheels is derived from a sepast ant'ially horizontal position onto the colgearing with the shaft H.

:- fcomprises a sprocketlTO onthe shaft'H' connected I by a chain 71 with a sprocket 72 on a 'countershaft'73 carrying-a pinion. 74' WlllCh meshes w th a gear 75 on a counter- Each of the" pulling sion pressing the cords 54 extend over pulleys 57 and 58 to a hand 1 lever 59 adjacent to the drivers seat 60, the hand .lever being adaptedto be heldin adjusted position by; any usual expedienty a whole relatively shaft 76 carrying a beveled gear 77 which meshes with a pinion 78 on a counter-shaft -79'which carries a sprocket 80 connected by a chain 81 with a sprocket 82 on the shaft of the engine K. the forward part of each pulling 'ele In the operation of the invention, the machine by any convenient means of power, such as draft animals, is advanced against and the pulling belts operated at a convenient speed. The pulling belts being set at an inclination of gravity to the horizontal will raise the flax plants and pull them in the preferred manner, depositing them on the collecting belt D which will convey them to the binding mechanism, or

- will discharge them in any place desired. If the crop is particularly thick the speed at which the machine is fed against it may *tion, Within the scope of the claims, constructed wlthout departing from the spiritor scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification' and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. WVhat we claim as our invention is: 1. In .a; flax puller and in combination, a plurality of pulling elements placed side by I sidecontaining cooperative contacting pulling belts and being laterally adjustable as a wholerelatively to each other.

2. Ina flax puller and in combination, a plurality vof pulling elements placed side by side'containmg cooperative contacting pulling belts and, being laterally adjustable as to each other, and spring means. for holding the pulling elements against each other.

3. In a flax mg pulleys and pulling belts, means! for supporting each of the pulling elements with freedom of lateral movement, and spring means pressing the pulling elements laterally against each other.

4. In a flax puller and in combination, a plurallty of pulllng elements, each containing pulleys and pulling belts, means for sup porting each of the pulling elements with freedom of lateral movement, spring means pressing the pulling elements laterally against each other, and means for varying the pressure of said spring means.

5. In a flax puller and in combination, a

g puller and in combination, a 'plurallty of pulllng elements each containplu 'ality of pulling elements, each containing pulleys and pulling belts, means for supporting each of the pulling elements with freedom of lateral movement, spring means pressing the pulling elements laterally against each other, and means for varying the pressure ofsaid spring means, said means including a follower plate, cords connected to the follower plate, pulleys sup porting); the cords. and means for holding the cords in adjusted position.

(3. In a flax puller and in combination, a pulling element having pulleys on opposite sides. a cross shaft extending beneath the same. a pulley on the cross shaft, a single belt extending around the pulleys on both 

